Seeking photos of African American women suffragettes.

Question

I am looking for photos of African American woman organizing or protesting during the fight for the right of women to vote in the early 1900s. Thanks.

LOC Manuscript Division · Answer

Dear Ms. Macheske,

The Library of Congress Manuscript Division has custody of the National Woman's Party Records and many photographs from this collection are available in an online presentation Women of Protest. Other photographs from the NWP Papers are described in the finding aid (PDF) and are available in the Manuscript Reading Room. Additional suffrage-related collections in the Manuscript Division that may include photographs of African American women protesting for suffrage includes the National American Woman Suffrage Association Records, which are available online. You may also wish to consult American Women, the online guide to woman's history-related collections at the Library of Congress. Please feel free to reach out to Manuscript Reading Room staff through Ask a Librarian with any questions about these collections.

With best wishes,

Edie

Manuscript Reading Room, Library of Congress

Judy Gaughan · Answer

I don't have photos but I do know the names of the first two African American women to register to vote in Pueblo County, Colorado in 1893.&#160; You may find the evidence here: http://womensuffragecentennialsoutherncolorado.org/about-us/research/about-us-research-pueblos-black-suffragists/

Rachael Salyer · Answer

Dear Ms. Macheske, &#160; Thank you for posting your request on History Hub! &#160; We searched the National Archives Catalog and located the series American Unofficial Collection of World War I Photographs, 1917-1918 in the Records of the War Department General and Special Staffs (Record Group 165) that contains 57 images related to "suffrage" , 47 images related to "suffragette" , and 29 images related to "suffragist" that may be of interest to you. These records have been digitized and can be viewed online via the Catalog. Please contact the National Archives at College Park - Still Pictures (RDSS) at stillpix@nara.gov with any questions you may have about these records. &#160; We also located the series Photographs of American Military Activities, ca. 1918 - ca. 1981 in the Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer (Record Group 111) that contains 5 images related to "suffrage" and 4 images related to "suffragist" that may be relevant to your research. Many of these records have been digitized and can be viewed online in the Catalog. You may contact RDSS for additional assistance with these and similar records. &#160; Next, we located the series Master File Photographs of U.S. and Foreign Personalities, World Events, and American Economic, Social, and Cultural Life in the Records of the U.S. Information Agency (USIA) (Record Group 306) that contains 3 images related to "suffrage" and 1 image related to "suffragette" . Many of these images have been digitized and can be viewed in the Catalog. Please contact RDSS for additional assistance with these records. &#160; Plus, we located the series Motion Picture Newsreel Films Used for a Documentary Series on World War I, ca. 1908 - ca. 1930 in the Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc. Collection (Collection CBS) that contains 2 files related to "suffrage" and 4 files related to "suffragette" that may contain some helpful information. These films have been digitized and can be viewed online via the Catalog. Please contact the National Archives at College Park - Motion Pictures (RDSM) at mopix@nara.gov with any questions you may have about these and similar records. You may also wish to explore the National Archives&#8217; African American History website for additional information and resources. &#160; Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and pursuant to guidance received from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), NARA has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission-critical work while also adhering to the recommended social distancing for the safety of NARA staff. As a result of this re-prioritization of activities, you may experience a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgement as well as a substantive response to your reference request from RDSS and RDSM. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience. &#160; Finally, you can find more information about African American suffragists online at websites like these: African American Women and the Nineteenth Amendment (US National Park Service) , Five You Should Know: African American Suffragists , and More To the Movement | Explore | Shall Not Be Denied: Women Fight for the Vote | Exhibitions at the Library of Congress . &#160; We hope this information is helpful. Best of luck with your research! &#160;

Seeking photos of African American women suffragettes.

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